The Abarth Classiche 1300 OT Is A Rare ’60s Throwback

Part of the brand’s 75th-anniversary celebrations, the mid-engined sports car is likely based on Alfa Romeo 4C underpinnings, and just five will be made

Mike Bartholomew

12 Apr 2024

Celebrations for the 75th birthday of Abarth, Fiat’s in-house tuning firm, are in full swing. We’ve had the somewhat inevitable 695 special edition, we’ve been drip-fed images of the upcoming Abarth-ified 600e, but now, we’ve seen images of something a bit more interesting than either of those.

An exhibition opened this week at Stellantis’ Heritage Hub in Turin where, in addition to a delightful array of classic and modern Abarth models, a scale model of a new mid-engined sports car was on display.

The car in question is the Abarth Classiche 1300 OT, and it’s a modern interpretation of the Fiat Abarth OT 1300, a tiny and successful Fiat 850-based sports racer from the 1960s. Better yet, Abarth has announced it’s going to build it, although just five will be produced.

If you’re looking at the pretty yellow coupe above and thinking it looks familiar, that’s because it’s essentially a hard-top version of the Abarth Classiche 1000 SP from 2022, itself a throwback to another of the company’s mid-century racers.

That car – of which five were produced – was actually a re-bodied Alfa Romeo 4C, and while Abarth hasn’t yet announced any further details on the 1300 OT, it’s almost certainly the same story. That means a carbon tub and mid-mounted 1.8-litre turbocharged four-cylinder making 237bhp, a six-speed dual-clutch gearbox, and almost certainly a sub-tonne kerbweight. Should be a riot, then, although for such a limited run thing, it’s unlikely much has been done to address the 4C’s infamously frisky on-road manners.

Tributes to the original 1300 OT include a toned-down version of its distinctive ‘periscope’ air intake and what looks like a proper clamshell rear section.

The Classiche 1300 OT is available to order now, although with only five set to be made, you’d better be quick if you want one. The Abarth exhibition, meanwhile, will run for another three months, so you’ve got a bit more time to pop over to Turin and stare at some lovely old race and rally cars.

The first full sentence spoken by an infant Mike was a review of the ride quality of a Volvo 850. It was “Daddy’s car goes bumpy-bump on a bumpy road,” so would probably need proofreading a bit, but it was a start.